The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-27
MAKERS OF RAIL RATES.
THE COMMISSION OBSERVES ME.
MORTAL DAY.

Delegations From Nearly Every I'M.
portant Southern City at Atlanta
Look After the Interests Of Their
Respective Localities-The Commis-
sion Outlines It's Programme-Gen.
Alexander's View Of the Business
Before 1t.
ATLANTA, April 26.-The Interstate Com
merce Commission arrived here this morn
ing and We're escorted by the committee of
the Chamber of Commerce to the Kimbau
House. Upon learning that Memorial Day
is "A legal holiday in Georgia, the commis-
sion decided TO postpone until 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning the session which was td
have been held to-day. The Commissioners
were subsequently driven out to Oakland
cemetery to witness the memorial cere-
monies.
The commission has adopted the follow~
ing programme
First-The commission will not convene
for business to-day, having inadvertently
named for day for its session a legal hoIi-
day. If it shall be found that persons hava
come from distance expecting to be heard
on the first day, and who will be inconve%
nienced by remaining, ,sthe commission, on
the fact being made known, will assign am
hour in the evening for hearing them.
To-DAY's PROGRAMME.
Second-On Wednesday the commission
will convene at the City Council chamber ai
10 O'Clock in the morning and continue in
session until , o'clock in the afternoon. The
afternoon session will begin at O'Clock and
continue so long as may be found nece6<<Euk
to complete the business for the day.
order that the proceedings may b. or141 q
and expeditions the commiysion dGsi<
understood that their purpose IN coru{ux
gather facts to guide them to Just cone
sions on pending applications and
they expect to devote their Sessions III 4
taking of evidence The corsln1e4sr&
lays down general rule that raiIrood E0z
panieS shall not charge more Tor q 6l1oI1
than a longer haul over the same line @in{
like circumstances and conditiQns. Ceft0
companies, embracing nearly al IN tE
section of the country, have presented paf1@
tions for orders establishing certain exeep-
tions and in order to avoid mischief pend4
ing an investigation upon them, temporary
orders have been made. A def
mite hearing upon these petitions is
now to be entered upon, and the PEI
titioners will be expected TO make
out their cases. Their evidence will first be
taken, but with it may be given the evil
dence or memorials OF boards of trade or
other organizations, whether of a govern4
mental or commercial nature, which sup-
port the same view. Afterward the COM
mission will receive opposing evidence. All
evidence, except such as may be documents
ary, will be taken ON oath.
LISTS OF WITNESSES.
Third-Petitioning parties will be ex-
pected to present to the commission before
the morning meeting of Wednesday a list of
the witnesses they desire to have examined
arranged in proper order for calling. They
will be permitted to examine them them-
selves. but the commission will pursue an
examination at pleasure and will allow
other parties to cross-examine. Before the
afternoon session opposing parties will be
expected to present their list for like ex-
animation.
Fourth-When the evidence is all in the
commission will hear arguments upon it and
any question of construction of law that may
seem TO bear upon the proper determination
to be made For the purposes OF such hear
ing a session will be held at the Council
room at 10 o'clock Thursday morning, and
the names of those desiring to be heard will
be expected to be furnished to the comnnisuzs
soon before that hour. Those supporti1
the petitions will be allowed to open a111
close the discussion.
MANY TOWNS REPRESENTED. N!
This evening delegations have arriv4
from all the leading towns in Florida, Sou
Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, A<&s
bama and Georgia. as well as represeu1
tives Of large interests from Cincinnati q
other cities at distance They are in 1<
sion tonight for the purpose Of formulate
their grievances, so as TO save the time -
the commission The lumber interest is one
of the strongest represented, while the iron
men will make vigorous effort to have the
order made permanent, suspending the
fourth section.
Among the railroad members here ara
Col. John b. Peck, General Manager of the
South Carolina railway; Gen. f. p Alex
ander, of the Central; II. NJ. Smith and NJ.
-Stahman, of the Louisville and Nashville;
Maj. Green, of the Georgia railroad; Mr.
Thomas, of the Nashville and Chattanooga
railway and Albert Fink, receiver of the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia rails
road.
GEN. ALEXANDER's VIEWS.
Gen T. p Alexander said to a reporter
tonight: "My impression is that the rail-
way representatives have no grievances to
lay before the Commissioners at this time.
They had an opportunity TO present their
case fully at the meeting of the commission
in Washington. They did so in so able a
manner that the commission acceded to their
demands by suspending the operation of the
obnoxious section four Of the act All that
the railways can now reasonably
require is that the temporary suspension be
made permanent. This / am disposed to be-
lieve win be done. There are many railway
men here, but so far as | am informed they
do not propose making any organized move
upon the commission. Indeed the Commits
sioners have plainly said: We do not
desire 10 hear from the railways now for
we have given them hearing We want
TO give the business men and people an
audience This means that the people,
merchants, mill men, etc. will have the
first claim upon the commission